Accessing quality and affordable healthcare is a major concern many residents and citizens of the United States face every day. However, many people face additional hardship in their ability to pay for medical bills for themselves or someone in their household. Shockingly, even individuals who have medical insurance report facing difficulty affording the healthcare they require. In fact, it was found that 62% of individuals who incurred bills whose household reported having difficulty paying medical bills were covered by insurance. Higher deductibles were most often attributed to this problem among individuals who have insurance but still struggle to pay medical bills. The Kaiser Family Foundation has found that 66% of individuals report that they have trouble paying for a one-time or a short term medical expense while 33% of individuals report having trouble paying for bills that are the result of a chronic illnesses.
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation/New York Times Medical Bills Survey (conducted August 28-September 28, 2019)
